Can You Lose Weight Without Counting Macros?
People often tell me that they are “eating clean,” yet they don’t seem to be losing weight. I first ask them what their goals are — which they reply either to lose body fat or to gain lean muscle mass. My follow-up question is then asking them how many calories they take each day and their current macro breakdown. I then get a deer in the headlights look. You do know how much you’re eating and are counting macros, right? Nope.
If you truly want to speed up your progress and get the results you desire, you’re going to want to start counting macros. I get it, it’s not fun, and it takes effort. Then don’t do it and limit your results. Or, if you want to see the results from your efforts, get a pad of paper and pen or use an app like MyFitnessPal to start tracking and counting macros.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to treat or diagnose any condition. It is recommended that you speak with your doctor before starting any exercise program, changing your daily nutrition, or adding any supplements to your regimen.
The Numbers Don’t Lie When Counting Macros
Regardless of your goals, you’re limiting your progress if you aren’t paying attention to your nutrition or aren’t counting macros. The old “eyeballing it” doesn’t work if you first don’t understand portion control and how much of a certain macro should look like on your plate. “Close enough” only works in horseshoes and hand grenades. Everything else, you better be pretty darn accurate because if you’re not paying attention, your carbohydrate intake will skyrocket.
If you’ve followed any of my work over the years, you’d know I’m a huge fan of MyFitnessPal. In fact, I recommend them so much I should be getting paid by them at this point. But the truth is that MyFitnessPal works for tracking and counting macros, and thousands, if not millions, of people are using the free app on their smartphones.
By using the app, you can enter all of your personal information, your goals, and in turn, it will spit out your recommended daily intake for calories as well as protein, carbohydrates, and fats. You can go one step further by changing your macro ratios to whatever nutrition program you follow (low carb, keto, IIFYM, 40/30/30 plan, whatever).
The app allows you to go through the day, counting macros and seeing how close you are to hitting your ratios for the day. You then have the ability to make changes to meals and snacks during the rest of the day, so you stay within your allotted numbers. MyFitnessPal has just about every food in their database that you could think of.
Nutrition Will Make or Break You and Counting Macros is a Smart Strategy
At the end of the day, you can be in a caloric surplus, caloric deficit, or hit your maintenance calories. Being in a caloric surplus can cause you to gain weight. Being in a caloric deficit can have you lose weight. And hitting your maintenance can preserve your current weight.
Look at your current goals. If you are trying to lose weight, it would be good to know if you’ve been in a surplus this entire time, and that’s why you aren’t losing weight, right? That’s why it’s so crucial for you to be counting macros. You get to see actual numbers and track them to improve your results. If you’ve never tried counting macros and you feel you’ve hit a plateau or are even going in the other direction, your best bet is to give this a try and put yourself in a position to win and reach your goals. You, unfortunately, can’t outwork a poor diet.
Related Article: Not Tracking Calories Could Be Why Your Results Suffer
Once your nutrition is on point, you will start to see the stars aligning and achievement in sight. But remember, if you cheat on your nutrition, you’re only hurting yourself. By counting macros, you can hold yourself accountable.
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